The Brush

[rosetto 0]

Racing in his mind as his eyes darted North and then South, the electro-chemical impulses that were known as Sal Rosetto searched for resolution to the Zoalus' culture and the gardeners-gone-bad but found only frustration. He required more data; more factual stimuli and pieces to the puzzle. This was what he lived for. He thrived on mysteries which was what had been missing in his life back on K'Normia. He loved being a family man and wouldn't sacrifice his parenthood for anything in the universe but his soul yearned for adventure. Life, before Harry, before marriage, had been on the edge and changing everyday. Yet he realized his own youthful whims of greener pastures. Life had chapters and this, the new adventure that he had set himself upon, was just another one. Turning the page doesn't negate the previous ones. You are the entire novel and the plot continues to move forward as the climax builds.

 

 

Sal stood upright gazed over the foliage across an open plain upon which the rising sun set. The illuminated clouds were tall and distant. He was not a meteorologist but he knew that there was a storm in their near future. The winds had begun to pick up, more than they had since their arrival, and the trees had started to bend and sway. It wasn't overly noticeable except for a keen eye's detection still he could see the periodic directional changes in the breeze and the rustling of the local wildlife. The flights of the winged creatures had become shorter and more purposeful. Sal pulled his pack off while continuing to follow the group, opened the flap and checked to see if he'd remembered his poncho. It was bright orange, there, beneath the food packs. There was a sigh of relief that went unnoticed by the others and he returned his pack to his shoulders and continued through the brush.

 

 

The buildings that he had spied were at least 3 clicks away and a good hike but he thought they'd make it there before the weather turned for the worse. There didn't seem to be anything of significance between them, just more over-growth and a small depression which he assumed was a creek bed. It wasn't wide enough for anything more than that and so he wasn't that concerned. Still, he thought he should alert the others as they approached.

 

 

"We have a water crossing ahead, guys. Not a big deal. It's probably just a small creek or rill."

 

 

Sal was leading the way, taking long strides over the brush and trying to move as quickly as he could without being completely obvious. They hadn't seen another gardener since the last one who had either missed them or chose to ignore them. He was pretty certain that there would be more as they neared the buildings but there didn't seem to be any out here.